"Stuff is eaten by dogs, broken by family and friends, sanded down by the wind, frozen by the mountains, lost by the prairie, burnt off by the sun, washed away by the rain. So you are left with dogs, family, friends, sun, rain, wind, prairie and mountains. What more do you want?"
Federico Calboli

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Update

After posting the link to Ruhlman on food below I went and caught up on the miles of quite wonderful comments.

I like "fussy" pro Mike Pardus's comment among many others (good for "writer" as well.)

"Hi, y'all.......It's nice to see that things settled down a bit since Michael posted my comments on initial post.For those of you who are still pissed off at me, I owe an explanation.

"Being a cook is my identity, probably more so, even, than being a parent. If you ask "what do you do?" or "what ARE you?" I answer "I'm a cook" or, maybe, "I teach cooking".

"I also drive a pick-up to work - that does not make me a "trucker"

"I have a garden, but I'm not a "farmer"

"I've published articles and co-authored books - and gotten PAID for it, but I'm not a "writer"

"I cook...at home, at work, when I'm on vacation or visiting friends. It's what I do when I'm sad or lonely or happy and full of energy, and if I cook for you in my home or yours, it's the best way I can express friendship and love.

"If I ask you "what do you do?"....what's you're first response?......if it's "I'm a cook", then you probably are."

For the record, I LIKE knowing what the real technique is even if I sometimes, even often, take a shortcut. That way you know what you are doing (and ,maybe what you are missing.) That doesn't make me a pro chef but I think I'm a cook.

The post has also made me update my wish list. If anyone buys me one of these I will cook for them if they ever visit Casa Q-- but then I would anyway.